DFG Doctoral Fellowship
The Future of the Present: Autonomous Archiving of Activist Videos
This study examines the contribution of activist videos from the Occupy Wall Street and the Occupy Gezi Park movements to non-authoritarian and non-linear history-writing.
Two autonomous archives were examined in depth as case studies: Interference Archive in New York and bak.ma in Istanbul. Based on grounded theory, an ethnographic methodology was used to collect data, including archive visits, participatory observation, and a series of interviews with activists, archivists, librarians, videographers, and scholars engaged with the selected archives. Working from these case studies, this study reveals the different ways of video activism, the ethical dilemma in recording the protests, and the contribution of autonomous archives to the counterimage of the resistance as part of the historiography.
from the #Occupy movements in New York and Istanbul
Archiving Born-Digital Materials
urban studies :: digital humanities :: museums

the Future of the Present
autonomous archiving of activist videos
city :: memory :: information commons

360-degree
data-driven information production
selected publications :: talks

‘#OccupyGezi Architecture’ and Archival Tactics of Resistance
International Journal of Islamic Architecture, Volume 9, Issue 2, Jul 2020, p. 409 – 430
Herkes için Mimarlık (‘Architecture for All’, HiM) is a group of architects, urban planners, designers, and sociologists who conduct participatory renovation projects. They were involved in the Occupy Gezi Park movement by questioning top-down urban politics in Istanbul, developing a series of online and on-site events including the Gezi Festivals, interview videos, timelines, zines, and exhibitions. Working from these case studies, this article examines the ways HiM archived the occupied milieu as a means of resistance: How do the materials that HiM documented during the Occupy Gezi Park movement contribute to knowledge production through a non-authoritarian and a non-linear history writing? I argue that temporality plays a crucial role in this process, as it is impossible to predetermine the duration of a protest movement and the course of events complicates decision-making regarding what to include or exclude in the archive. Through in-depth interviews and archival research that focus on HiM’s public events and design works, this article examines the group’s curatorial and documentation practices with respect to questions of authenticity, authorship, accessibility, and security.

Toplumsal Hareketlerin Dijital Kaydı ve Kolektif Hafıza
artikisler.net
İstanbul Bienali Tuzlu Su kapsamında Artıkişler Kolektifi’nden Özge Çelikaslan, Alper Şen ve Pelin Tan tarafından 7-9 Ekim tarihleri arasında düzenlenen “Otonom Arşivler: bak.ma Pad.ma ile buluşuyor” atölye çalışmasında medya aktivizmi, otonom arşivlerin ortaya çıkışı, Türkiye’deki güncel pratikleri ve geleceği tartışıldı. Artık İşler’in videogramlarla hazırladığı Tahayyül video serisinin bir parçası, “Tahayyül III: Tekel Direnişi 78 gün”ün gösterimiyle başlayan atölye çalışmasına akademisyenler, video eylemciler, belgesel sinemacılar, medya sanatçıları, sivil toplum kuruluşu üyeleri, avukatlar, sanatçılar ve arşivbilimcilerin yer aldığı farklı disiplinlerden uzmanlar katıldı.

İmajlarla Bir Eylemlilik Hali
sanatatak
15. !f İstanbul Bağımsız Filmler Festivali kapsamında 20 Şubat Cumartesi günü Depo’nun ev sahipliğinde düzenlenen “Görüntünün Eylemi” başlıklı etkinlikte, farklı coğrafyalardan buluntu görüntülerin, belgesellerin ve videoların yer aldığı film gösterimlerinin ardından yapılan söyleşide katılımcılar, “Görüntü yalan söyler mi?” sorusunu video eylem pratiği, arşivleme ve imajların güncel kullanım alanları çerçevesinde ele aldılar.
Moderatörlüğünü Nagehan Uskan’ın üstlendiği oturumda Alper Şen, Belit Sağ, Güliz Sağlam, Hande Sakarya, Oktay İnce ve Özge Çelikaslan, video eylem pratiğinin Türkiye’deki tarihinden başlayarak bugün geldiği noktayı değerlendirdiler, imajların toplumsal hafızada kendisine nasıl yer bulduğuna dair soruları dinleyicilerin yorumlarıyla birlikte tartıştılar.
continue to explore
my portfolio and resume
portfolio*
#SelectedProjects
Migrant Women’s Memory Box
DFG Doctoral Fellowship
Vehbi Koç Foundation M.A. Fellowship
2022/23 Mercator-IPC fellowship
anti-racist feminist policy-making
#WritingForVariousAudiences
Critical Insights on Autonomous Archiving, Intersectional Feminism,
and Participatory Museology
#SpeakingAtDiverseLevels
Critical Discussions on History-Writing, Gender Equality,
and Inclusive Museum
#ParticipatoryCuratorship
publications
I coordinated and edited 4 bilingual publications in TR/GER that highlight the experiences of women immigrated from Turkey to Germany.
These books were created in a participatory process through workshops, making sure the voices of women—often left out of migration history—are recorded.
My scholarly and professional experience in autonomous archiving and intersectional research guided effectively these publications, turning community stories into lasting records as information resources for future actions—for social impact on future research, publication, and political and daily narratives.
exhibitions
I curated two participatory exhibition projects with GKB-migrant women to reconfigure patriarchal stereotypes of ‘migrant’ and ‘woman,’ by opening the stage to migrant women to tell their own narratives—in the face of institutional and structural migration history in Germany:
ABC of the Federal Germany Migrant Women’s Association: A Female Dictionary: A community-built collection of entries reflecting on the association’s experiences in socio-political, economical and cultural domains.
The World from a Female Perspective: A retrospective look at the association’s 12-year-long fighting for equal rights in Germany.
My problem-solver embracing ALL within an intersectional feminist pedagogy approach enhanced these projects’ management into power-sharing by engaging more than 200 women in total—from different regions of the country.
What if goodreads were as colorful as the literature?
Redesigning the goodreads app with a “themes” option
In the realm of literature, the conventional association of reading with me-time, nature, and tranquility has often inspired designs featuring hues of green and beige and their calming tones. However, literature itself is a vibrant spectrum, from the texts within books to their colorful covers. For my inaugural individual UX/UI design project at the Iron Hack BootCamp, I’ve opted to redesign the well-known native mobile app goodreads. This case study unfolds the journey of the vibrant “pop mode” I envisioned for goodreads.
gradmindfull: Empower your academic journey with like-minded people
Discover a holistic approach to student wellness that fosters productivity, creativity, and self-care within a supportive community — all within a single, intuitive iOS app tailored exclusively for students.
In today’s fast-paced world, where physical and mental well-being have gained paramount importance, the need for wellness apps is more apparent than ever. While many such apps offer guidance on exercise, sleep, and mindfulness, there’s a distinct gap when it comes to catering to the unique challenges faced by students. Enter gradmindfull: the all-in-one solution designed to help students relax, feel empowered, and succeed in their academic journey alongside like-minded peers. This case study unravels the story of my varied roles throughout the product design process, which I undertook for my solo UX/UI design project at the Iron Hack BootCamp.
Rediscovering Tranquility: Crafting a Digital Façade for El molí de Can Aulet
Engaging with Nature in UX/UI Design for Rural Tourism
Nestled in the serene embrace of Montseny, El molí de Can Aulet unfolds a story of tranquility, offering rustic cabins that whisper tales of nature’s beauty. Join us on a journey through the digital realms, as we reimagine the Mill’s (El molí de Can Aulet) online façade to echo the essence of “enjoy nature” and redefine rural tourism. This is the case study of our second group project assigned at the Iron Hack, Berlin-UX/UI Design bootcamp.
#SelectedPosts
Bir Oyun, Bir Hikâye, Bir Görsel Dil: Sultan’ın Dijital Kimliği
#ChronicleBuzzy: Yıllık Z Raporunun Instagram Carousel Post Hali
@muzede_drama 2024 Etkinlikleri: 1 Yıllık Takvimin Görselleştirilmesi
resume*
2022/23 Mercator-IPC Fellow at Sabancı University, Istanbul Policy Center, Sept 2022 – Aug 2023
Researcher at DaMigra e.V. (the Umbrella Organization of Migrant Women’s Self-Organizations in Germany), May 2019 – Sep 2022
Coordinator and Curator (Freelancer) at the Historical Museum Frankfurt, June 2014 – May 2023
Business Development Projects (Digital Marketing) at Pera Museum, Istanbul, Jan 2010 – Feb 2012
PhD | IGK—Berlin-New York, Toronto—Center for Metropolitan Studies, TU-Berlin, DFG Doctoral Fellow § TU Compilation Fellow, May 2015 – Feb 2021
Visiting Scholar | City University of New York, CUNY, Digital Humanities, DFG Fellow, Sept – Dec 2016
M.A. | Koç University, Istanbul, Anatolian Civilizations and Cultural Heritage Management, Koç University Fellow, Sept 2007 – Jan 2010
B.A. | Galatasaray University, Istanbul, Sociology, Sept 2003 – June 2007
scholarships
Mercator Stiftung – Istanbul Policy Center, Sabancı University, Fellowship, September 2022-August 2023
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Doctoral Research Fellowship, May 2015-April 2018
Vehbi Koç Foundation, Koç University, Anatolian Civilizations and Cultural Heritage Management, M.A. Program, Full Fellowship, 2007-2009
European Commission, Erasmus Exchange Program Fellowship, Sept. 2005- Feb. 2006
grants
DA BIN ICH: Ehe-unabhängiger Aufenthaltstitel für von häuslicher Gewalt betroffenen Migrant:innen (HERE I AM: Residence Permit Independent from the Husband for Migrant Women Affected by the Domestic Violence), Workshop with the Federal German Migrant Women’s Association, Frauenreferat Frankfurt, October – November, 2022
CAMOC Annual Conference, Travel Grant, 2023
Technische Universität Berlin, Doctoral Research Completion Grant, May – October 2018
CUNY (City University of New York)—Visiting Scholar, DFG-TU Berlin-IGK, September – December 2016
CAMOC Annual Conference, Travel Grant, CAMOC, 2019
CAMOC Annual Conference, Travel Grant, DFG-TU Berlin-IGK, 2015
tools
- Microsoft
- Google Workspace
- Slack
- Canva
- Figma
- Notion
- WordPRess
- InDesign
soft skills
- Digital culture passionate
- User-centric critical
- Solution-oriented
- Intellectually curious
- Thinking out of the box
- Persistent
Language Skills
- Turkish: Native
- English: Mastery
- German: Professional
- French: Professional
memberships
Müzecilik Meslek Kuruluşu Derneği (the Museum Professionals Association in Turkey), MMKD, Co-Founder
ICOM (the International Council of Museums), Independent Member
CAMOC (the International Committee for the Collections and Activities of Museums of Cities) / ICOM, Independent Member
certificates
WordPress Installation
UX/UI Design
MuseumPlus Grundlagen

























